National Grid appears to have faced down calls for an independent system operator to be appointed and is unlikely to be broken up, according to the Financial Times.

Citing ‘officials briefed on the matter’, the FT reports that Grid will appoint new directors to its system operator business and strengthen the ‘Chinese walls’ between its businesses to reduce perceived conflicts of interest.

The company had 160,000 customers. Analysts have warned that smaller energy companies may struggle to remain afloat now that wholesale energy prices are on the turn after several years in the doldrums.

GB Energy is the second small supplier to shut down operations this year. Tempus Energy closed its supply operation this summer.